The invention is in the field of rug hooks (or latch hooks) of the kind used by hobbyists to make rugs by knotting (or hooking) lengths of yarn to a support mesh typically called a canvas. More specifically, the invention relates to a new rug hooking tool which includes a tool having a tip which replaces the conventional latch hook tip but serves the same function of helping knot a piece of yarn to the canvas, a magazine in the tool (or in a tool having a conventional tip) for lengths of yarn, and a convenient loader for such magazine.
Conventional latch-hooks, for example as proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,541,980, have been used for a long time. U.S. Pat. No. 3,860,155 proposes another type of a latch-hook in which the hook portion can be opened by a button at the front part of the handle, presumably to facilitate use of that hook. U.S. Pat. No. 3,230,982 proposes yet another rug making device having a plunger for pushing the free ends of a length of yarn into a wire loop which appears to have an oval shaped front portion. Other devices for hooking or knotting lengths of yarn to a support are proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,873,766 and British Pat. Nos. 612,465 (accepted 1948) and 206,023 (accepted 1923). In addition, said U.S. Pat. No. 3,541,980 proposes a yarn loop holding means to hold one or a plurality of yarn loops while the latch-hook is being threaded into the canvas.
Latch-hooks are used extensively in hobby rug making, and it is believed that a need exists for improvements which could make it more convenient and perhaps less expensive to enjoy the hobby. The invention herein is directed to meeting such a need.
In its simplest form, an exemplary embodiment of a rug hooking tool in accordance with the invention comprises a handle and a closed integral loop of a firm material which extends forwardly from the handle and has a greater width portion which smoothly narrows forwardly to a lesser width tip. The greater width portion is dimensioned to receive freely the free ends of lengths of yarn while the lesser width tip is dimensioned to receive said free ends more tightly and to facilitate pulling said free ends in knotting the length of yarn to the canvas. The fact that no latch is used makes the system less expensive to manufacture and is also believed to make it more convenient to use. The shape of the loop, particularly the relative dimensions of the greater width portion thereof, the lesser width tip thereof and the yarn which is typically used are believed to make the system significantly more effective as compared to a device of the type proposed in said U.S. Pat. No. 3,230,982.
In order to make the system yet more convenient to use, another exemplary embodiment thereof includes a magazine for a number of lengths of yarn which the user can slide individually toward the loop and use in knotting to the canvas. In order to form the magazine the handle comprises an elongated shank and a channel section shell receives the shank but allows a sufficient shell-to-shank clearance which serves to form such a magazine. The shank and shell can be pivotally connected to each other at their back ends so that the front portions thereof can pivot away from each other to facilitate loading the magazine with lengths of yarn. Once the magazine is loaded, a suitable means such as a cap is used to affix the back ends of the shank and shell to each other so as to resist such pivoting. Loading is facilitated with a frame which mates with the shank in one embodiment and the shell in another (when the shank and shell are pivoted away from each other), so as to use in one embodiment windings of a continuous length of yarn which can then be cut into individual lengths, and to use in the other embodiment pre-cut individual lengths of yarn. For use with a continuous length of yarn the loader comprises a frame which mates with the shank to provide a combined shank-and-loader circumference which matches the desired length of yarn for use in making the rug. A continuous length of yarn is wound around such a circumference, in the form of a row of windings extending along the length of the shank, then the shank and shell are pivoted toward each other to form said magazine, the windings are cut at points thereof far from the shank and the loader frame is removed to leave the magazine loaded and ready to use. Alternately, the shank and shell are pivoted from each other and the shell is laid into a trough centrally formed in a loader platform, a row of individual, pre-cut lengths of yarn is arranged on the platform, with the individual lengths of yarn being transverse to the length of the shell and with the row extending along said length, and said magazine is formed and loaded by pivoting the shank toward the shell and using it to push the central parts of the lengths of yarn into the shell.